


A lift home

by xluminaheart



Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: Bonding, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Giovanni is a better dad than Molly's actual dad, Indus and Mera somehow show up at some point just don't question it, Light Angst, Sort Of, au but not really, but not really
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:42:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22213507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xluminaheart/pseuds/xluminaheart
Summary: “Just my luck, huh?” Molly mumbled to herself as she buttoned up her raincoat. “I hope dad remembered to pick me up for once.”Or; Martin forgets to pick Molly up from school, so Giovanni does it instead.-The name of the document I write this story in is called "everyone picks molly up from school" and that pretty much sums it up.
Relationships: Molly Blyndeff & Giovanni Potage, Molly Blyndeff & Indus Tarbella, Molly Blyndeff & Mera Salamin, Molly Blyndeff & Percival "Percy" King, Molly Blyndeff & Ramsey Murdoch, Molly Blyndeff & Zora Salazar, Sylvester "Sylvie" Ashling & Molly Blyndeff
Comments: 162
Kudos: 646





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was procrastinating on writing the second chapter of the High School AU and this happened... It was originally going to be a very very long one-shot but my dumb overwriting ass decided to make this a multi-chapter story because Molly needs quality bonding time with everyone and I can't fit that into 400 words per character. Special thanks to Egg for beta-ing! 
> 
> (If you're wondering when I'm going to update the high school AU, I know it's a bit overdue already but I really, really want to nail the characterisation and write in a way that I don't have to go back and edit when I notice something's wrong; I've already finished writing the chapter but I'm waiting for some feedback so I can edit it and make it even better for you guys!)

Molly sighed as she picked up her bag, and looked out of the school window. The sky was still grey and cloudy, and the rain showed no sign of letting up. If anything, it became even more relentless; the previously steady pitter-patter of raindrops had turned harsh and heavy, and she could hardly see anything at all. 

Besides the rain, the wind was so strong that Molly could hear it as it rushed past, tearing at plants and people alike. Several leaves and small objects flew past the window and landed on the pavement with a faint ‘smack’. She winced at a boy’s particularly loud wail as his umbrella was pulled out of his grip and sent flying across the playground.

“Just my luck, huh?” Molly mumbled to herself as she buttoned up her raincoat. “I hope dad remembered to pick me up for once.” Taking a deep breath, she braced herself and walked outside.

The rain hit her at once. Molly’s raincoat was already getting quite small for her, barely reaching her knees, and her hair was constantly spilling out of her hood. By the time she’d reached the bus stop where she was supposed to be waiting, nearly all her hair had become soggy and limp, and her socks were soaking wet from stepping in several puddles on the way there. “C-come on d-dad, where a-a-are you?” She muttered, her teeth chattering. _Well, I suppose it could be worse_ , she thought. _At least I’ve got_ some _shelter now._ _Maybe he’s just late… I bet the traffic’s really bad from all the people coming to pick their kids up._ “I’ll wait five minutes, and if he doesn’t turn up, I’ll call him.” She decided.

But five minutes turned to ten, which turned to fifteen, then twenty, then thirty. By then, nearly all the cars by the school gates had gone, and still there was no sign of her father anywhere. Molly had called, of course, but as usual, her father didn’t answer any of them. She didn’t bother leaving a voicemail. Did he even know that voicemails existed? 

Molly sighed at the thought. The rain was still as bad as ever, and she was certain it would take her nearly an hour to get home if it continued like that. She didn’t even  _ want _ to think about the amount of laundry she’d have to do if she tried, or if she’d even have enough energy to do it at all. “Now what?” She wondered. Her father was no help. She couldn’t hitch a ride with Trixie or Phoenica; they’d gone home already, and it wouldn’t be fair if she made them come all the way back just to pick her up. “I guess I’ll have to walk after all…” 

She was about to head out again when she stopped. The last time she met Giovanni (A rather interesting encounter involving stepping on someone’s foot, an impromptu supermarket heist, and a bowl of homemade cookies, but that was a story for another day) he’d given her his number, so she could call him whenever she needed help with “crime stuff”, or as he put it, “any stuff really”. Molly didn’t really want to ask him; after all, she had no idea how far away he lived and she didn’t want to inconvenience him. But she didn’t really have a choice, either. 

“Boss would have wanted you to ask for his help,” Molly told herself. “It’s time I stood up for my own self-interests!” She took a deep breath, and pressed the call button. 

Three seconds later, Giovanni had picked up. “Bear Trap! What’s up? Wanna do some crime things? Because I’m planning on loitering outside Wendy’s with the boys in a few-” 

“Oh no no no, it’s not that,” Molly said quickly. “It’s, well- I-” 

“You okay there?” Giovanni’s voice became concerned. 

“Yes! W-well, not exactly…” Molly stammered. “Uh, my dad, he, he kinda forgot to pick me a-and it’s raining really hard and it’s gonna get dark soon and I can’t walk home because I’ll get soaked so canyoupleasepickmeupthanks?”

“He did what now?” 

“He forgot to pick me up. Again. It’s been half an hour and he hasn’t answered any of my calls, and I can’t ask anyone else to pick me up because-”

“Woah, slow down! Where are you?”

“Huh?” Molly blinked. 

“I said, where are you?” Giovanni repeated, his voice gentle. “You wanted me to pick you up, right? Where do I find you?”

“Oh, I-I’m at the bus stop. Outside school. Uh, Sweet Jazz Middle School?” 

“Sweet Jazz Middle… How do I get... Meh, I’ll google it. See ya in twenty, Bear Trap!”

“Wait, Giovanni-”

The line went dead. Molly sighed, but she smiled all the same. At least she didn’t have to walk home now.

-

Barely ten minutes later, a battered grey car pulled up in front of Sweet Jazz Middle School. The window rolled down to reveal a messy red-haired teenager, a bright grin stretched across his face. “Greetings, my loyal minion!” He called, music blasting from inside the car.

“Boss! How did you get here so quickly?” Molly asked. 

“Well, I may have ran a few red lights, but what kind of super evil boss would I be if I didn’t break the law for one of my minions?” Giovanni replied. “Now get on board! Also give me your address, I don’t know where you live.” 

  
“I’ll type it into your phone.” Molly said, as she sat down in the back of the car. “Here!” She handed it back to him. “Sorry for making you come all the way out here to pick me up.”

“Pfft, what?” Giovanni laughed. “Silly Bear Trap, you didn’t make me do anything!”

“But- you were busy… and I asked you anyway…” She mumbled shyly. 

“Because I wanted to. You’re my minion, and we help each other out. I couldn’t just let you walk home and catch a cold!” He replied, smiling exasperatedly at the sight of Molly’s widened eyes. “Geez, I told you this already. You gotta start getting better at asking for stuff. I gave you my number so you could call me if you needed help with anything, and there’s nothing the great Giovanni Potage can’t do! Well, except maybe math homework.” He added, making Molly laugh. “Now, my minion, do you have any requests?”

“Can I turn down the music?” 

“Sure. See, that wasn’t so bad! You need to start doing that more. Now, full speed ahead!” Giovanni turned on the ignition and began reversing slowly. “After this bit! Safety first.” 

-

Fifteen minutes later, they arrived in front of the Blyndeff Toy Emporium. Molly climbed out of the car and turned to Giovanni. 

“Thanks for giving me a lift, boss. Also…” She hesitated. “Would you mind picking me up if I call you? I-if my dad doesn’t turn up, that is.” She smiled at him. “How was that?”

“Don’t thank me, Bear Trap, I’m your boss after all.” Giovanni said with a wave of his hand. “Great job though! We might be able to use those cute puppy eyes of yours-.” His phone buzzed loudly. “Drat! That’ll be the boys. I knew they were hopeless without me.” He sighed, but smiled all the same. “I’ll see ya round, Bear Trap! Crime is calling!”

Molly waved goodbye as Giovanni sped off into the distance, and when she could no longer see his car, unlocked the door and walked in. 

And if a certain battered grey car showed up at school the next day instead of her father’s usual patterned van, no one questioned it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments fuel my soul; the more comments I get the more motivated I am to write because y'all are so lovely (I sound so demanding but it's true ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯) so if you want more soon then comment I guess? This'll probably update on Sundays or Mondays so I get a bit of a break in between writing for the High School AU and this. If you're interested in what I'm writing next, it's a Percy character study (in second person because why not, right?) about her experiences as a police officer prior to the canon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “...I thought… Giovanni was picking me up.”
> 
> “Unfortunately, Giovanni can’t be here today, because of- ahem- criminal reasons. So you have me instead!”
> 
> -  
> ITS YOUR LOCAL SHEEP BOI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delays on this chapter! hope you all enjoy  
> thanks again to egg for betaing!

Things settled, as things do, and slowly, Molly became accustomed to the sight of a battered gray car and its red haired driver parked outside the school gates, waving at her with a wide grin. At first, she’d been alarmed when Giovanni had stopped by- she hadn’t called him, after all, and what if her father showed up? But luckily (Molly didn’t think she’d ever use that word to describe this scenario, but here she was), he never showed. 

And honestly? She preferred it that way. Giovanni was always at least ten minutes early; she could see him pull up as she sat down for the afternoon register. He was considerate too: he always remembered to turn the music down when she got in the car, and sometimes he would bring Molly snacks, always taking note of how she responded to each. They didn’t always talk, especially the first few times. Molly wasn’t sure what to say beyond “How are you doing?” and “I’m good, thanks” and she didn’t want to complain too much. But after one particularly tiring day of school, she couldn’t help letting slip during their usual small talk, and it all escalated from there. 

Soon, their daily car rides became more like rant sessions. Giovanni would moan about his mom and her “mildly” alcoholic friend Debbie and how the good cereal was always so  _ expensive  _ and, occasionally, how one of the team had gotten into trouble at school and needed Giovanni to sneak them out of the house when grounded. 

“Some dumbass,” he would say, as they waited for the traffic to pass, “tried to insult Flamethrower for doing male cheerleading, so, like any good boss would, I told him to punch the guy in the face. Then they started fighting and he was actually doing really well except the  _ teacher  _ didn’t like that and gave him detention, and now he’s grounded! Honestly. I had to sneak into his house through the window and everything to get him some donuts!”

Molly, in turn, would tell him about everything that happened, both at school and otherwise. Sometimes they talked through the issues, sometimes Giovanni just listened, and sometimes he joined in on bashing the ones who needed to be bashed- usually insensitive classmates and clueless teachers, as well as the occasional incredibly needy customer. 

Today, Molly was rather looking forward to going home, though mostly to complain to Giovanni for the twenty odd minutes of the journey back. Though home was much better now that she stopped taking the night shift (secretly, though it wouldn’t have made a difference in income anyway), it wasn’t all that peaceful until after her father and Lorelai had gone to sleep, and on a day like this where her classmates just  _ would not shut up _ and now she was stuck with far too much homework for comfort, she desperately needed to let off some steam. 

Except Giovanni wasn’t there. 

_ Seriously?  _ Molly thought. She checked again, scanning the road.  _ Maybe he’s late… _ But Giovanni was never late.  _ Maybe he has a new car? _ Giovanni’s usual parking spot was occupied by a blue-green VW Beetle, and in the driver's seat was-

“Sylvie? What are you doing here?”

“Ah, Molly!” Sylvie said, rolling down the window. “Good to see you! Please, get in the car.” He added, at Molly’s confused look, “I turned sixteen last month, so I took the driving test as soon as I could. Naturally, I passed” 

“...I thought… Giovanni was picking me up.”

“Unfortunately, Giovanni can’t be here today, because of- ahem-  _ criminal  _ reasons. So you have me instead!” Sylvie said, smiling rather smugly. “Now please get in the car before people stare anymore at us.”

“R-right!” 

Molly got into one of the back seats and placed her bag on the other, her hands folded in her lap. She wasn’t sure what to do. Sure, Sylvie was her friend and all but they weren’t close like she was with Trixie or Phoenica, or even Giovanni, for that matter. Besides, wasn’t he a psychologist? Psychologists had to deal with listening to people’s problems all day long and the last thing Molly wanted to do was to dump her problems on to the pile. It would only cause trouble. 

So when Sylvie started driving, she swallowed her complaints and stared out of the window. 

-

“So, Molly, how was your day?” Sylvie asked, focused on the road. 

“Fine, thank you,” Molly lied. “How was yours?” 

“My day was great, thank you. Though it could’ve been better with less criminal activity.” 

Molly smiled despite herself. 

“But I digress. Was school okay?”

“Yeah, school was fine.”  _ It wasn’t, some kid spilt his paints on me and now I have extra laundry to do and I’ll probably have to stay up to do my homework because there’s so much of it and I need to wash my hair because I haven’t had the time but there’s no shampoo and I need to go to the grocery store wait what time does the store close- _

“That’s good, then.” Sylvie remarked. “Any plans for when you get back home?”

“Do homework, cook, eat dinner, work, sleep.” Molly recited, trying her best not to sound bored. She was tempted to pretend to be occupied by her phone, though Sylvie probably wouldn’t notice. Besides, it was out of battery. “Shouldn’t you be focusing on the road?” 

“Me? Please, Molly, I can talk and drive at the same time.” Sylvie said. “Unlike  _ some _ people. Did you know Giovanni almost crashed into a traffic light because he got too caught up talking about that time he rescued his ‘boy’s-” Molly could practically hear the inverted commas- “from being caught loitering outside Wendy’s? Unbelievable. Total disregard for safety.” 

“Mhm.”  _ Really, though, Boss isn’t like that at all…  _ Molly thought. Then she corrected herself.  _ Well, maybe not all the time.  _

“Are you alright, Molly?” Sylvie turned round. 

Molly faked a smile. “I’m great.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course!” She said, as cheerfully as she could muster. 

“Really?” Sylvie looked concerned. “You could always talk about it if you want to, I’m always-”

“I’m  _ fine _ !” 

Sylvie looked shocked, and Molly clapped her hand over her mouth.  _ Oh no. Oh no oh no he’s mad he’s mad-  _

She took a deep breath. “I’m fine, Sylvie. And I don’t wanna talk about it.” 

Sylvie didn’t respond. For a while, the journey continued in silence. Occasionally, Sylvie would sigh or curse (nothing  _ too  _ bad; he was probably restraining himself since Molly was around) at a speeding driver. Molly simply stared out of the window. Every now and then, she spotted him glancing at her through the rearview mirror, but she pretended not to notice. She didn’t want to have to speak to him again. 

Was he angry at her? Molly knew Sylvie could be snarky at times, though she suspected it was more out of embarrassment or indignation than true anger. He was kind to her, though. Maybe it was to do with her age, or the fact that she was quieter than, well, Giovanni, but Sylvie always seemed a lot calmer and nicer around her. Less defensive, at any rate.

But was that really him? Or was he just playing a part? Psychologists had to keep their own emotions in check all the time, right? Was Sylvie just being polite when he talked to her, then? Why? Because he needed to be a ‘responsible adult’ to Molly? Because he felt the need to ‘be okay’ around other people all the time?

“You know, Molly, you don’t have to be okay all the time.”

Molly looked up. They had stopped driving; the traffic light was red. Sylvie turned around to look at her, a hesitant smile on his face. “We all have bad days, and we all get tired or frustrated with life. It’s fine to talk about it if you need to. Of course, it’s also fine if you don’t want to talk about it for now,” he added, “But-”

She looked away. Sylvie was right, and she  _ did _ want to talk about it, so why- why couldn’t she-

“No one’s going to like you any less if you do.” 

Molly felt tears well up in her eyes; she brushed them away before they could fall. She wasn’t going to cry now. 

“As your friend, I’m here to listen to you. And that means I listen no matter what it is you have to say.”

“I didn’t want to make you listen-” Molly began, sniffling. “You’re stressed enough without me, I-”

“If that was the case, I would have said so upfront.” Sylvie said gently. “Why do you think I asked in the first place?”

“Yeah, but- I’d have said some pretty bad things, a-and I don’t want to be mean-” 

“But you’re stressed, Molly, and you should know that you don’t have to be nice all the time. A good friend wouldn’t mind that you weren’t perfect. No one would.”

Molly began to cry in earnest, burying her face in her bear hoodie. Outside, cars honked loudly, and Sylvie slammed his foot on the pedal just as the light turned red, much to his own chagrin. 

“Shi- Wait, no! Ugh- sorry, Molly.” He said, sheepishly. 

Molly giggled. “It’s fine. Besides, I already know a few swear words, so you don’t have to hold back.” 

Sylvie looked like he didn’t know whether to be surprised, angry or embarrassed, which made Molly smile.

“You know, Giovanni would be pretty proud that you just ran a red light.” 

“Shut up.” Sylvie’s ears were red.

“But… thanks. For everything you said earlier.” It was Molly’s turn to blush. “You were right. Though I shouldn’t have snapped like that…”

“Eh, it’s fine.” Sylvie said, with a wave of his hand. “All in the past now. So, you ready to talk about it?”

“Of course.” Molly said, smiling, and this time she meant it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all so much for the kind comments on the previous chapter! as always, comments fuel the muse so anything would be rly appreciated <3
> 
> (let me know who you think will be next btw!)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Miss Molly Blyndeff?” A curt voice asked. 
> 
> Molly looked up to see a tall blonde woman in uniform, carrying- as her classmate had said- a real-ass goddamn sword. She looked familiar, and sounded familiar too, though Molly couldn’t quite remember just where or when she had met her. 
> 
> “Um, yes, that’s me…?” Molly’s gaze drifted towards the woman’s police badge. Wait. Police badge? Oh no, was she really being arrested? “I mean no, not me-”
> 
> “Great.” The woman gave her a polite smile. “I’m here to pick you up.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey it's Kasumi, back from the dead! i was hyped and also I craved percy angst so I wrote this in like... 4 hours? maybe less? anyways I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> fun fact this chapter is 2500+ long, longer than most enigma chapters :0

Today had not been a good day, Molly thought. Not that it had been any worse than any other bad days. In fact, it was pretty normal, all things considered. 

First, they ran out of Lorelai’s favourite cereal, which made her throw a tantrum and make a huge mess which Molly had to clean up before going to school, then her father had pushed the night shift onto her, and then when she complained for the first time in a while all she was told was that “good people help out no matter when” and “I’m going out on important business” and “Your mom would’ve wanted you to help out” and-

She didn’t want to think about the rest. 

Still, she couldn’t help but remember. She supposed she would ask Sylvie about how to deal with such things when she saw him. 

But she couldn’t. Because there, in the parking lot, instead of a battered grey car or a blue-green VW beetle, was possibly the worst car that could  _ ever _ have picked her up. It was a police car. 

_ That can’t be here for me, right?  _ Molly thought nervously.  _ I’m not a criminal… _

_ But you hang out with criminals all the time,  _ another voice in her head added. Molly gasped.  _ That’s right! _ Maybe the police had discovered her connection to Giovanni and wanted to question her on it! Oh no, what was she supposed to say? It wasn’t like she had an escape route either since neither Giovanni nor Sylvie were here to pick her up...

_ Wait, let’s check my phone first… _

Molly pulled out her phone to see a text from Giovanni.

_ wassup bear trap,  _ It read.  _ im on a TOP SECRET BANZAI MISSION with the boys today so the nerds picking u up. dont worry ill bring u back a cool sword. sorry ur stuck w/him instead of me the GREAT GIOVANNI POTAGE!!!!1! _

But then, just below that, a message from Sylvie-

_ Hi Molly! I can’t pick you up today because I’ve got to meet someone, so someone else will be doing it instead. Sorry!  _

Molly sighed.  _ Great.  _ Neither of them were here. Not that she  _ blamed _ them, of course, since this had never happened before, and they were both busy people- well, maybe not Giovanni, but he deserved to have fun sometimes- who had lives of their own. Perhaps today was her lucky day and her father had finally,  _ finally _ remembered she existed and needed picking up?

Molly quickly glanced around the car park.  _ Nope… _ She didn’t bother looking a second time- her father’s obnoxiously bright toy van would stand out anywhere. 

_ Guess I’m walking home again _ , she thought. It was just typical that on a day where she was feeling especially tired and grumpy and generally  _ done, _ she would have to walk home, with no one to confide in. Sighing, Molly was just about to head out of the school gates when she stopped. Sylvie had mentioned he’d arranged for  _ someone _ to pick her up, right? Who? A relative? Did they even know who she was? 

“Uh, Molly?” 

Molly turned to see one of her classmates talking to her. 

“Some weird lady with a sword’s looking for you.” The boy said, pointing to the other side of the car park. 

“Oh, thank you,” Molly replied, and quickly made her way over to where he had pointed.  _ Who on earth had Sylvie chosen to pick her up?  _ She thought with a slight frown. 

Her question was answered soon enough. 

“Miss Molly Blyndeff?” A curt voice asked. 

Molly looked up to see a tall blonde woman in uniform, carrying- as her classmate had said- a _real-ass goddamn_ _sword_. She looked familiar, and sounded familiar too, though Molly couldn’t quite remember just where or when she had met her. 

“Um, yes, that’s me…?” Molly’s gaze drifted towards the woman’s police badge. Wait. Police badge? Oh no, was she really being arrested? “I mean no, not me-”

“Great.” The woman gave her a polite smile. “I’m here to pick you up.”

“W-where to?” Molly asked nervously.  _ Please don’t arrest me, please don’t arrest me- _

“Why, your home, of course.” The woman said. “I ran into Mr Ashling while off duty, and he asked me to pick you up in his stead.” She must have noticed Molly’s uncomfortable expression, because she quickly added, “Of course, if you would rather I didn’t-”

“No, no, it’s fine!” Molly said, letting out an internal sigh of relief. She wasn’t being arrested after all- not that she had  _ really _ believed that, she told herself. “Um, Miss Police Officer-”

“Please, call me Percy.” 

“Percy- Oh!” Molly said suddenly.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, sorry, I just remembered something.” 

More specifically, she remembered who Percy  _ was _ \- the police officer who had given her a lift home after the museum incident several months ago, and who had come to interview her the day after. Molly remembered her being a nice woman, if a little on the stiff side. 

“Aren’t you busy, Percy?” Molly asked. 

“Well, yes- a true officer of the law is always alert, after all.” She replied. “But it is also my duty to offer assistance to any citizen who may require it. This, too, is part of my job. Now, shall we head off?”

“R-right.” 

Molly followed Percy to where the police car was parked. Percy quickly got on, and gestured for Molly to do the same. 

_ Wait…  _

This was a police car, so she  _ had  _ to sit in the front next to Percy to be comfortable. Molly bit her lip at the thought of more small talk. She would much rather be left to her own thoughts, but what could she do? With a small sigh, she hopped on. 

“Remember to do up your seatbelt,” Percy said, doing up her own. “Safety is important, after all.”

_ Sounds like something Boss would say.  _ Molly thought, and smiled to herself. 

The inside of the police car- or at least, the front of it- was like any other car. It was incredibly neat and tidy, too- there wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen. She wondered if it had something to do with Percy herself. In stark contrast, there was a small mountain of brightly-wrapped snacks in the holder on Percy’s side, and another on Molly’s side. 

“Would you like a snack, Molly? A drink?” Percy asked, gesturing to the small mountain of treats. “I heard that children your age enjoy sugary treats, but they aren’t very healthy, so I procured some low-sugar alternatives instead.”

“Oh- No thank you,” Molly replied, surprised by the gesture. 

“Are you sure? You are at a growing age, after all, and after school is usually when you’re the most hungry.” Percy said with a slight frown. Molly had the feeling she would press on if she didn’t accept her offer, so she took a flapjack from the pile. 

She wasn’t sure how she could eat it, though, without making a mess- even the slightest crumb would be plainly visible against such a pristine backdrop. Percy didn’t seem to notice her dilemma, and Molly didn’t want to bother her while she was driving. So she just held the unwrapped flapjack in her hand and sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to do. 

After a while, Percy looked up. “Is it not to your taste?” She asked.

“N-no,” Molly replied nervously. “I just didn’t want to make a mess.” She gestured to the floor. 

“Oh,” Percy said, as if the possibility had never occurred to her before. “Please, don’t worry about that. I personally clean the patrol car at the end of each day, so any mess made will be sorted out easily.”

“Okay…”

“I want you to be as comfortable as possible, Molly, so please go ahead,” Percy said, looking so sincere and serious that Molly felt guilty for hesitating. She took a bite of the snack, surprised at how tasty it was, and soon found herself reaching out for seconds. 

“Don’t you want one too, Percy?” Molly asked, in between mouthfuls. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I would rather concentrate on driving for the time being.” The officer replied. 

Percy, it seemed, was the type of person to do everything very seriously. For the next ten minutes or so, she never attempted to make conversation with Molly beyond making sure the temperature of the car was alright, and that she was okay after they made any sharp turns (she was surprisingly caring, as it turned out). Molly was glad for it, too, if it weren’t for the sheer awkwardness of the whole situation. So while they were waiting for a red light to turn green, she decided to ask Percy a question. 

“Percy?”

“Yes?” The woman didn’t look away from the road. 

“Do you like being a police officer?” 

“Of course,” Percy replied, without even stopping to think. “It’s my job, after all.”

She replied so quickly that Molly could hardly tell if she was being sincere or not. 

“What made you want to become one?” Molly pressed. 

This made Percy pause for a moment. 

“I suppose,” She said after a while, “It’s because I have wished to help people from a young age.”

“Oh,” Molly said, a little surprised. She didn’t know what she expected, but it probably wasn’t this. 

“Indeed. And what would help a greater number of people than bringing justice?” Percy said, a rare smile on her face. “And that is why I never consider myself off duty. Bringing justice is a full-time job, after all.” She laughed at her own joke. 

Somehow, Molly felt that wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear. 

“Doesn’t that get tiring after a while, though?” 

Another pause.

“I suppose so,” Percy said, as the light finally changed colour. “There have been times where I have not been able to fulfil my duty for my own health.”

“But don’t you ever feel like-” Molly couldn’t finish the sentence. It sounded stupid.  _ Don’t you ever feel like you don’t want to help anyone?  _ What was she, an asshole? Percy would surely refute her by saying she wasn’t a bad person, because only bad people would refuse to help someone else, right?  _ Good people help out no matter when, Molly!  _ In fact, why was she still talking about this? She should change the subject. 

Suddenly, the car came to a halt. While Molly was lost in thought, Percy had pulled over. 

“We’re not here yet,” Percy said calmly, as Molly moved to get out of the car. She was right. They were on a street Molly recognised only vaguely, a street that was nowhere near her home. 

“Why-”

“Molly, is there something troubling you?” Percy asked, looking at Molly with her piercing blue gaze. 

“I…” Molly began, hesitantly. All of a sudden, she remembered Sylvie’s words. _ You don’t have to be okay all the time. _ But where was she supposed to start? Percy was a stranger, after all. 

“You can talk to me. It is my duty to listen, after all.” The woman gave her a warm smile. 

Molly nodded gratefully. 

“Someone told me that, um, good people will always help out, no matter when.” She began. “Even if they’re tired.” 

Percy nodded. “Well, yes. Good people will always try and help out. That’s what makes them a good person.” 

Molly felt her chest tighten. “And, they said that, meaning I should help out with things...”

“It’s good to help, isn’t it?” Percy said, obliviously cheerful. 

_ I knew it.  _ Percy’s smile splintered in tears, and all of a sudden, Molly couldn’t look her in the eye anymore.  _ I knew it I knew it I knew it, he was right, I’m a bad person, I’m a bad- _

“Molly?!” Percy said, alarmed. “Are you alright?!” 

Molly buried her face in her hands. “Am I a bad person?” She mumbled, her voice muffled. “ I-if I can’t help out all the time? Because I’m tired?”

“Goodness, of course not!” Percy exclaimed. “Why on earth would you think that?” 

“I mean, you just said that a good person would always help out…” 

Percy looked troubled. “Oh dear. I did, didn’t I?” She said, quietly. 

That just made Molly cry even harder. Quickly, Percy unbuckled her seat belt and reached out a hand- then stopped, unsure of what to do. 

“I’m… I’m sorry, Molly. I didn’t realise quite what I’d said.” She said, after a while. Her voice was hesitant, and there was a hint of sadness to it. “There will always be times where you cannot help out, whether that be for your own health and safety, or for the health and safety of someone else. It is not selfish or bad of you to care about yourself.” 

Molly was silent. She knew that, of  _ course _ she knew that, so why was it so hard to believe? Was it because Percy had just been saying the opposite a few moments before?

“In fact, I… I am ashamed to admit this, but it took me a long time to learn this lesson myself.” 

“Really?” Molly asked, lifting her head.

Percy nodded. “Yes. When I was younger, I placed my job above everything. Above hobbies, above my own health, even above my co-workers’ health. Looking back, I can see that if I had continued, I might not be here today.” 

Percy’s voice shook a little as she spoke.

“But I was desperate to prove, to myself and to others, that I was a good and heroic person. Much like you are now.” 

Molly looked up and saw that Percy’s own eyes were full of tears.

“I’m sorry, Molly. I really am. I realise, now, that I may have just caused irreparable damage to your future by saying what I did. If you could perhaps forgive me...” 

Was Percy thinking of her own future when she said that? Was she once like Molly, knowing the truth but longing to hear it spoken by someone else? Was that why, when Molly said, “It’s okay”, a tear ran down her cheek and she didn’t brush it away? 

Molly didn’t know, but somehow, the two of them had met in an awkward hug across the joystick. Molly very nearly pulled away, but Percy’s arm kept her there for another two minutes, until they both had calmed down. 

“I know,” Percy said, “It’s hard, being asked to be so responsible at such a young age, especially when there is no one in your family to support you.” 

Molly’s eyes widened in surprise. How did she know?

“Mr Ashling informed me of your situation,” Percy admitted. “Of course, I cannot pretend to understand. But, if I could perhaps bring you peace of mind, if only for a little while…”

“Oh- you don’t need to do that,” Molly said, quickly. “Really.”

“Molly. I am not doing this because I need to, but because I  _ want  _ to.” Percy said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “I want you to promise me that you  _ will _ talk to me, or Mr Ashling, or another responsible adult, when you need help. I want you to never make the mistake I made. For both our sakes.” 

“Of course,” Molly replied, giving the woman a bright smile. Percy seemed slightly taken aback, but she returned with a slight smile of her own. 

“Now, shall we continue on our journey? We wouldn’t want you to miss your dinner.” She said, starting the car again. 

“It’s fine, I don’t have dinner most nights anyways.”

“That can’t be beneficial for your health. Here, have another flapjack.” 

And they continued the journey in comfortable silence. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate to beg for comments but I just like knowing that my hard work is actually reaching people ;w; so please leave a comment if you enjoyed the chapter! thank you all so much for the support so far it's actually unbelieveable
> 
> also a bit of a confession but I'm lowkey scared each of these chapters are getting more repetitive? like it's just oh no, people can't pick molly up, oh and she cries and gets therapy (but dw i'm making Molly the one who gives therapy soon!! and more fluffy stuff is happening i just. live for percy angst.)


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